“Vanilla, Grass, Almond” is an exhibition of artist books bringing together 24 artists who revisit their own publications through contemporary interventions. Brought together by Huo Rf and hosted by Kendi Collection, the exhibition takes its title from the characteristic scent notes; vanilla, grass, and almond that emerge as paper, ink, and binding materials age, evoking memory as much as material transformation. Treating artist books as living, mutable forms rather than static objects, the exhibition reveals how artists’ histories, geographies, and personal archives surface through acts of alteration such as annotation, collage, material addition, or sculptural transformation. Venue design by Zeynep Tümertekin and exhibition graphic design by E S Kibele Yarman frame the presentation.
The participating artists are Ahmet Civelek, Antonia Breme, Aslı Çavuşoğlu, Berkay Tuncay, Ecem Yüksel, Elif Kahveci, Emirkan Cörüt, Furkan Öztekin, Gülşah Mursaloğlu, Joseph Imhauser, Kadir Çıtak, E S Kibele Yarman, Lara Ögel, Metehan Özcan, Neslihan Başer, Rahel Zoller, Rhonda Khalifeh, Sena Başöz, Sevil Tunaboylu, Sevim Sancaktar, Thukral & Tagra, Ufuk Barış Mutlu, Vardal Caniş, and Yasemin Özcan.
The exhibition is on view from 6 April to 28 June (2026) & can be visited on Fridays and Saturdays between 12:00 and 19:00.
Kendi Collection: Meşrutiyet Cad. Cordova Apt. 64/1 Beyoğlu, İstanbul.
Parallel Program
Parallel to the Vanilla, Grass, Almond exhibition, the first episode of a podcast series by Rümeysa Boz features a conversation with Neslihan Başer on her practice, artist books, and her intervention on Defne’s Schoolyard. Available on Spotify and via the link in our profile. Podcasts are in Turkish. Here
Parallel to the Vanilla, Grass, Almond exhibition, the second episode of Rümeysa Boz’s podcast series features a conversation with Sevil Tunaboylu. Together, they discuss Sevil’s artistic practice, her relationship with materials and storytelling, and the ideas that shape her way of working. Available on Spotify and via the link in our profile. Podcasts are in Turkish.
Parallel to the Vanilla, Grass, Almond exhibition, the third episode of Rümeysa Boz’s podcast series brings together Rümeysa and Elif Kahveci for a conversation on Elif’s artistic practice, her approach to image-making, and the connections between everyday life and artistic production. Available on Spotify and via the link in our profile. Podcasts are in Turkish.
As part of the public program accompanying Vanilla, Grass, Almond, Berrak Göçer and Elif Bereketli will host a “Reading Side by Side” gathering centered on Hélène L’Heuillet’s In Praise of Delay: Where Has Time Gone? The event will take place on June 18 at Kendi Collection. Participation is limited and registration is required.
As part of the public program accompanying Vanilla, Grass, Almond, Zehra Begüm Kışla speaks with Rahel Zoller and Rhonda Khalifeh in an interview exploring the ideas, research, and collaborative process behind the exhibition. The interview is available in both Turkish and English on Art Unlimited.
As part of the public program accompanying Vanilla, Grass, Almond, Merve Akar Akgün speaks with Joseph Imhauser in an interview exploring the ideas, research, and collaborative process behind the exhibition. The interview is available in both Turkish and English on Art Unlimited.
Turkish here / English here
The exhibition is supported by Zeynep & Can Kendi, Marriott Executive Apartments Istanbul Fulya, Sanatorium, Zilberman and border_less.
